Emergency umbrella



Aug. 7,1956 J. RIVKIN ETAL I I 2,757,679

' EMERGENCY UMBRELLA Filed March 22; 1954 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Joseph Rtvkirz,

Aug. 7, 1956 R v ET AL EMERGENCY UMBRELLA Filed March 22, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Joseph Rtvkpm h m G W m M Y B Aug. 7, 1956 J. RlVKlN ETAL 2,757,679

EMERGENCY UMBRELLA Filed March 22, 1954 .5 Shu a-Sheet s q NVENTORS 45 4:6 Jbsepk Rivkizz/ BY Michael, Gillakos.

United States Patent EMERGENCY UMBRELL'A Joseph Rivlrin, Arlington, Va., and Michael G. Kelakos, Washington, D. C.

This invention relates to umbrellas and is more particularly concerned with the provision of inexpensive umbrellas especially adapted for use in cases of emergency. 1

It frequently occurs that persons away from home are confronted with unexpected inclement weather and become exposed to conditions of rain, snow, sleet or other unpleasant weather conditions, without proper shelter. For example, persons returning home at the end of a day from Work, or persons at an outdoor gathering, such as in an open stadium or athletic field, are occasionally subjected to unforeseen rain storms, without umbrellas. In most instances, such persons are not near a store where umbrellas are usually sold, and, therefore, must either suffer the consequences of exposure to the rain or find and remain under the shelter of a building or other permanent structure until the weather clears. Time lost in such delays may be valuable or important to the person. On the other hand, if he ventures forth without protective cover, his health may be impaired and his clothing may be damaged. In either event a financial loss may be entailed as well as a health hazard.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of an umbrella for use in emergencies of this kind which is relatively inexpensive in comparison to the material damages that rain or other inclement weather could cause a person under such circumstances.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an emergency umbrella which can be folded to occupy a small spacefor convenience in merchandising, for example, by newsstands, such as may be found in otfice buildings, or by drug stores, grocery stores, and similar business establishments.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an emergency umbrella which is composed of a small number of parts and which can be simply and inexpensively assembled by the manufacturer.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an emergency umbrella that can be easily and quickly unfolded from its folded position by a simple motion of the hands.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description considered together with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention in -the open or unfolded position.

2,757,679 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention in its open or unfolded position.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view along the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the third embodiment in a flat, partially opened, position.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view along the line 11-11 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the third embodiment in its folded position.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a canopy member 21, a post or shaft member 22, and a pair of rod or arm members 23 and 24.

The canopy member 21 may be made of any desired shape, circular, square, oblong, etc., but it is preferably made somewhat oblong, as shown, to conform generally to the lateral shape of a persons body. The canopy is made of a stiff, inexpensive water-repellant material, such as waxed cardboard, or cardboard coated with some other suitable water-repellant material, such as a water-repellant resin. In this respect, the element of inexpensiveness is important, but at the same time, the material must be effective, at least for the temporary period, of use to which it is to be subjected, to Withstand exposure to rain, snow and sleet.

The canopy 21 is provided with an aperture 25 for the reception of the shaft 22, and a fold line 26 extending from one side of the canopy to its other side across the aperture 25, dividing the canopy into two sections 27 and 28 that can be hingedly moved relative to each other in overlying relation along the line 26, as shown in Fig. 3.

The shaft 22 is rotatable in the aperture 25 and may be made of any suitable inexpensive material, such as a wood, paper or plastic dowel, and there is secured to the upper end thereof projecting above the canopy, a knob 29 of sufficient width to cover and overlap the aperture 25.

Immediately below and in contact with the bottom side of the canopy 21, the rod 24, which may be of metal, wood, plastic, or other suitable inexpensive material, is connected to the shaft 22 for rotation therewith. The rod 23 is parallel to the rod 24, and is also connected to the shaft 22 for rotation therewith, but is disposed in contact with the top of the canopy.

The canopy also carries grooves 30 and 31 on the bottom, extending radially from the aperture 25 at right angles to the hinge line 26 and of a combined length sutficient to receive the rod 24.

In its folded position, the elements of the umbrella are as shown in Fig. 3 with the rod 24 lying in or parallel to the fold line 26. The shaft 22, although it may be of any length desired, is preferably not so long as to extend beyond the edges of the canopy in the folded position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same embodiment in its folded position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified or second embodiment of the invention in its fully opened position.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the second embodiment in its fully opened position.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view along the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the second embodiment in its flattened or folded position.

To open the umbrella, one of the sections 27 or 28 is held by one hand of the person. The shaft 22 is grasped with the other hand and rotated This forces the rods 24 and 25 to rotate with the shaft 22 which results in a camming action between the rod 24 and the two sections of the canopy to open or spread them to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The rod 24 slips into the grooves 30 and 31 which act to retain it in the open position. At the same time, the outer rod 23 overlies both sections of the canopy, and holds them in position against forces, such as wind, which may tend to collapse them outwardly.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 comprises a conical canopy 32 of material similar to the canopy of the previously described embodiment and having an aperture 33 at its apex and a fold line 34 running diametrically across the aperture from one edge of the cone to the other to permit collapsing the canopy sideways. A post or shaft 35 similar to the shaft 22 of the 3 previously described embodiment is disposed in the aper ture 33, as shown, and is provided with a similar knob or cap 36 at the upper end to cover the aperture and also provide a downwardly facing annular shoulder 37 to keep the canopy from slipping off the upper end of the shaft. Immediately below the aperture 33, a wire member 38 is disposed in an aperture 39 of the post 35 and is bent in the form of an inverted V to abut the underside of the canopy on opposite sides of the shaft. Grooves 40 and 41 extend from opposite sides of the aperture 33 along the bottom of the canopy in a vertical plane at right angles to a plane passing through the fold line 34 for engagement by the wire member 38, as shown in Fig. 6.

In the normally closed position, the wire member 38 lies under the fold line 34, as shown in Fig. 7. To open it, the shaft 35 is simply rotated 90 relative to the canopy until the wire member falls into registry with the grooves 40 and 41. This embodiment does not require an outer member, like the member 23 of the first embodiment, because of the conical shape of the canopy.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, l0, l1 and 12, comprises a canopy 42 divided into two equal sections 43 and 44 by a transverse fold line 45. The sections 43 and 44 are provided on the bottom with cooperating flap members 46 and 47, each having a portion 48 and 49 thereof glued to the underside of the respective sections and having hinge lines 50 and 51 along the longitudinal center line of the canopy, the outer edges 52 and 53 of the portions 48 and 49, respectively, being disposed on opposite sides of said center line.

The flap member 46 includes a finger portion 54 projecting longitudinally across the hinge line 45 and laterally offset from the hinge line 50. The flap member 47 carries a pocket 55 having an open end along the inner edge 56, formed by gluing appropriate marginal edges 57 of a piece of paper 58 to one side of the flap member 47, the function of which is to receive and frictionally hold the inner end of the fiap member 46, including the finger portion 54, as shown in Fig. 9.

The fiap member 59 also includes a dependent portion 60 which is used as a hand grip for holding the umbrella overhead.

In its fully folded position, this embodiment of the invention is accordion folded along a plurality of fold lines, such as the fold lines 61, 62, 63, 64 and the center fold line 45 with the flaps 46 and 47 lying fiat against the underside of their respective canopy sections. It thus assumes the shape shown in Fig. 12 and may be secured with a string 65 or any other suitable means. To open the umbrella, the device is stretched out to the position shown in Fig. 10. The flap members 46 and 47 are then rotated 90 to the vertical position and the finger portion 54 is inserted in the pocket 55 and slid therein until the edge 66 abuts the corresponding inner side of the pocket. These parts are so positioned that in abutting position, the sections 43 and 44 of the canopy slope downwardly from the fold line 45 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

We claim:

1. An emergency umbrella comprising a canopy of stiff water-repellant material having a medial fold line extending from one side thereof to the other dividing the canopy into two sections mutually hinged together and having also an aperture therethrough, a shaft rotatably mounted in said aperture, and arms connected for rotation with and projecting outwardly from said shaft adjacent the canopy to underlie in one position of rotation the fold line when the umbrella is in a closed position and to underlie and engage in another position of rotation por- 4 tions of the said sections offset from the fold line when the umbrella is in an open position.

2. An emergency umbrella comprising a canopy of stiff water-repellant material having a medial fold line extending diametrically across the canopy and dividing it into two sections mutually hinged together, said canopy also having an aperture therethrough, a shaft rotatably mounted in said aperture, and a pair of arms, straddling the canopy, connected for rotation with and projecting outwardly from said post to underlie and overlie, respectively, in one position of rotation, the fold line when the umbrella is in a closed position and to underlie and overlie, respectively, and engage, in another position of rotation portions of said sections ofiset from the fold line when the canopy is in an open position.

3. An emergency umbrella comprising a canopy of stiff watcr-repellant material having a medial fold line extending diametrically across the canopy and dividing it into two sections mutually hinged together, said canopy also having an aperture therethrough at a point in said fold line, a shaft rotatably mounted in said aperture, a pair of arms straddling the canopy and connected to the shaft for rotation therewith, said arms extending outwardly from the shaft in contact with the canopy to underlie and overlie, respectively, in one position of rotation, the fold line when the umbrella is in a closed position and to underlie and overlie, respectively, and engage in another position of rotation portions of said sections offset from the fold line when the canopy is in an open position.

4. An emergency umbrella comprising a canopy of stiff water-repellant material having a medial fold line extending diametrically across the canopy and dividing it into two sections mutually hinged together, said canopy also having an aperture therethrough, a shaft rotatably mounted in said aperture, a member having arms normally underlying the fold line in one position of rotation when the umbrella is in a closed position, said arms being connected to and projecting outwardly from the shaft, said canopy having grooves on its underside projecting radially from the aperture transversely of the fold line for engagement with said arms in a different position of rotation of said member.

5. An emergency umbrella comprising a conical shaped canopy of stiff water-repellant material having an aperture therethrough at the apex, a shaft rotatably mounted in the aperture, a pair of arms secured to and projecting radially from the shaft in contact with the underside of the canopy, said canopy having a pair of fold lines extending from opposite sides of the aperture to the outer edges of the canopy.

6. An emergency umbrella comprising a conical shaped canopy of stiff water-repellant material having an aperture therethrough at the apex, a shaft rotatably mounted in the aperture, a pair of arms secured to and projecting radially from the shaft in contact with the underside of the canopy, said canopy having a pair of fold lines extending from opposite sides of the aperture to the outer end of the canopy and having also groove portions on the underside for registration with said arms, said groove portions being disposed medially of the fold lines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 64,013 Hill Apr. 23, 1867 2,241,389 Berman May 13, 1941 2,552,461 Ruskin et al. May 8, 1951 2,563,353 Mueller et al. Aug. 7, 1951 

